A Part of Nature Too
by IchBinAufKurs
Summary: Star by star, the cold numbs it out; after all, rain is just a state of mind. #krazyshipping #MeowthxPikachu
1. THE COUPLET

**It's one thing to be alive and another thing to feel it.**

* * *

The stars were visible as the city lights were far behind them. The weather was fresh and breezy, making it an ideal night to sleep amongst the odyssey of nature. They were all gathered around the campfire, sleeping comfortably in their sleeping bags as the fire kept them warm, keeping away any wild pokémon that happened to pass by. One of them being Team Rocket's Meowth.

He stood behind some bushes to make sure they were all asleep before he continued with his plan. He paid close attention to their breathing, looking for any signs that they might still be awake. Once he made sure they were asleep, he stepped out of the dark, making himself visible. He saw Pikachu sleeping near Ash, so he knew he had to be extra quiet.

"Hey, Pikachu." Meowth whispered. "Hey!" He repeated as the yellow mouse didn't respond.

"Pika?" He asked a little disoriented.

Meowth signaled for him to come over, but Pikachu ignored him and tried to go back to sleep.

Without thinking twice, Meowth took Ash's hat.

Among seeing this, Pikachu quickly got up and followed him. He was fully aware that this might be a trick to capture him, but that was a risk he was willing to take. He knew how much Ash loved that hat, so once he got close enough, he used thunderbolt, shocking the culprit, which immediately fell to the ground.

"Pikapi Pikachu?!" He asked furiously, but was soon distracted by something he saw further ahead. All traces of anger were immediately eliminated as he walked past some bushes, instantly becoming mesmerized by the sight.

Meowth followed suit and sat down on what was remaining of a tree that had been cut down. He sighed as he admired the scenery and said, "I just wanted to share dis wit' somebody, even if it was wit' one of you twoips."

The moon was bigger and rounder than it'd been in years. The ladybug pokémon were affecting the scenery, affecting the mood. The moon could be seen reflected across the calm water of the lake.

Curious as to why he went out of his way to do this, he asked, "Pika pi, Pikachu?"

"Dey sent me over to dis town to get some t'ings for da boss, but dey didn't know when I'd be back, so I decided to spend some time wit' you guys, no strings attached."

"Pika?"

"Well, I know I haven't been da nicest guy, so I guess you'll just have to see, but I t'ink I'm a better pokémon dan I seem to be."

At first Pikachu was a little reserved, keeping his distance, but Meowth soon saw him on the lake's reflection, sitting next to him under the endless sky.

"It's funny to t'ink of how much we are really alike, isn't it Pikachu?

"Pi?"

"We don't like being inside pokeballs, we've both chosen not to evolve**, **we're both pokémon."

He looked distantly into a specific star as he thought about something to say.

_"Moments like these are rare,_  
_Dey make one want to stop and stare_  
_At da univoise and its nature,_  
_Dey makes one think about da future,_

_Our similarities and our differences,_  
_Da good and da bad, just look at us,_  
_Two pokémon, different as could be,_  
_Enjoying da moment and all we can see,_

_It makes one realize dat no matter how different we are, we're similar too._  
_Once you've learned dat, you'll see dat life's not dat bad,_  
_But da rain, now dat's just sad-"_

"Pikachu pi, pika pika pi, pika pi pikachu."

Meowth smiled and said, "We view da world differently, you and I. But I guess you're right, even da rain is a part of nature too."

They looked into each other's eyes, each feeling what the other was feeling.

Meowth saw a spark in Pikachu's eyes, and what happened next was unprecedented. He felt his body acting on its own as he scooted closer to him. He didn't remember doing that, but the next thing he knew, he placed a smooch on Pikachu's cheek.

He felt as if he'd left reality and was now in a fantasy universe where everything seemed to go his way, but the effect started to fade as he pulled away. There was silence for a moment, but it was soon followed by Pikachu's laughs. Meowth blushed, folded his arms, looked away and said, "Don't get used to it!"

He didn't dare to look at Pikachu anymore. He thought about leaving, but he felt his lips on his cheek too. And at that moment, nobody could tell him how he felt, but it seemed right.

* * *

"I couldn't believe it was actually happening. I wouldn't even know how to describe it." Meowth paused, "It was so unreal."

His voice sounded so sincere and honest. Ash knew Meowth wasn't a good liar, so he took his word for it.

"If it was a dream, I wanted it to last forever. I didn't want to wake up." He added, "We cuddled close, feeling each other's bodies. I thought back to when we were stuck together, back to when he found an apple and even though he hadn't eaten, he shared it wit' me. Dat was the nicest t'ing anybody ever did for me. I never had a moment quite so picturesque."

Meowth looked away at something distant, lost in thought.

"Looking back it seems like we should've known it was wrong. A cat and a mouse shouldn't be getting along like dat, but dat thought never even crossed our minds."

Still unsure if he had convinced Ash that he was being honest, he added, "It wasn't love at first sight, but it was special. We've been trying to capture Pikachu for a really long time and to finally see him on a new light was almost magical. Like… when you realize dat you've been living your life da wrong way. I felt as if I'd achieved da impossible."

"How much of what you told us that day was true?" Ash asked.

"It was all a lie." Meowth admitted as he looked down at the floor.

"Why'd you lie?"

"I don't think you would've believed me if I told you da truth as to why I was hanging out with you. But I've gotta admit, it was fun hanging out wit' you twoips."

"So why do you want to go back? You could just hang with us for a while."

"If dey ever saw me wit' you I'd feel like I've betrayed dem. Dey wouldn't understand, but.. I love them. Jessie and James are da only people I can trust. I'll never forget da day James gave up his rare collection of bottle caps for me. Selflessly. We've had our ups and downs, but I could never leave dem."

"Well Meowth, I've got to admit, I thought this was just another trick from Team Rocket."

There was a moment of silence as both human and pokémon sat thoughtfully in the middle of a city's fastfood restaurant, hardly believing a heartfelt conversation had taken place there.

"Cat and Mouse, who would've thought it?"

Meowth opened his mouth, but then closed it. He was completely disarmed and looked a little uncomfortable, but he was grateful nonetheless.

Ash took off his hat and held it in his lap while he thought of something to say.

"You know, I've had this hat ever since I met Pikachu, but I want you to have it."

He placed it backwards on Meowth's head. It seemed to fit him so well. It left his "charm" exposed through the hole in the hat.

Meowth was a little taken aback by that. He didn't think he'd do something like that for him and he didn't feel like he deserved it.

"I can certainly say I've learned a lot from you, Meowth." Ash said, waving a hand as Meowth got up to leave.

"Take care, pal." Meowth said.

Just as he stepped out, he saw a shooting star passing by and he wished that they would do this forever and pretend that this never happened.

* * *

When Ash got back to the inn they were staying at, he saw Misty hanging out in the lobby. When asked what happened, he told her that it was all just a trick from Team Rocket.

"I knew it!" Misty said. "There's no way a cat and a mouse Pokémon would become friends, especially if they're both males."

"Well, Misty.. I wouldn't be too sure. See, that'd crossed my mind before, but then I recalled the occasion with Purrloin. Meowth seems to have an interest in male pokémon. As for Pikachu, I've never seen him interested in anybody, so it could be that he was just naïve in the matter."

"Well," Misty sighed, "at least they both got to see a side of each other that they didn't know existed."

* * *

Ash didn't know this, but apparently Pikachu had overheard his conversation with Misty. Pikachu was mad and it showed. He wasn't being his usual self. He refused to eat and then refused his offer to sleep on the bed.

Ash was quick to connect the dots and didn't want to leave Pikachu with a misunderstanding, so he tried to put things in a way he'd understand.

"His bond with Team Rocket is just as strong as his love for you," he began, "but they're all he's got." He said, looking away. "Asking him to stay with us would be like asking you to join Team Rocket." he paused for a second and then continued, "Of course, I wouldn't want you to.. I guess you could say I'm a little selfish." he added, his voice cracking.

* * *

"Meowth, you're back." James noted.

Meowth sighed and said, "They figured me out."

That, too, was a lie. Meowth's feelings for Pikachu had grown and made him not want to go through with Team Rocket's plan. After all, he finally understood that Pikachu belonged with Ash and he with Team Rocket. It was a comfortable rivalry.

"It's okay, little buddy. We'll try to catch him tomorrow."

Meowth saw the moonlight shine into the room. He wanted to see the moon one more time before he went to sleep, so he jumped on a stand and gazed out the window, looking up at the moon.

"Meowth? What are you doing?"

Meowth didn't answer, he was lost in memories of that night.

"You coming to bed?"

Those words snapped him out of his trance. He slowly turned his head and made his way to bed.

He knew that now that he'd told Pikachu what he thinks about when he's looking at the moon, he would think of him when he saw it, and likewise, he would think of him.

* * *

**Author's Note: There will be a playlist for this story on my profile. Review and stay tuned for chapter 2. Special thanks to Quillinx for helping me out with this chapter. **


	2. UNREAL

**Superfluous monosyllabic hyperthymesia.**

* * *

After a long time of being away, Ash and his friends finally arrived at the Kanto region. It was barely morning, but it was very cold & cloudy and they weren't sure if they were going to get rained on or if the sun was going to peak out, yet it sure felt good to be back. Ash couldn't wait to tell his mom about his most recent adventures, Brock couldn't wait to see his siblings again, and Misty was getting ready to go her separate way to see her sisters at the Cerulean Gym.

"Well, I better get going if I don't wanna get caught up in this rain." Misty said, giving Ash and Brock a hug.

"We'll be sure to visit once we're done here!" Ash said as he waved goodbye.

"We'll miss you, Misty!" Brock added.

"Pika pika!"

As they saw Misty fade into the distance, Ash thought maybe he should be heading home too, but his house was still a good walk ahead and the rain might start pouring on their way there. As they were walking by the local market he recalled an invitation he'd received from a local restaurant. It occurred to him that it could be a good way to pass the time as they waited for the weather to clear out. After all, he was ahead of schedule and his visit was going to be a surprise.

They saw a doorman standing outside as they neared the building.

"ID?" He asked.

"Oh, sure." Ash said as he showed him his pokedex. Brock did the same.

* * *

Team Rocket was spying on them from the corner of a building, binoculars out, one towering over the other, Meowth standing on James' head, typical over-complication for a simple task.

"Looks like da twoips are up for a little drinkin' and boozin'." Meowth said as they saw Ash & Brock enter a bar.

"Yeah, it sure looks like it." James said.

Meowth felt a raindrop fall on his paw. He put the binoculars down, looked at where it'd landed and then looked up at the sky. Even though he hated water, it reminded him of what Pikachu had said the other day. He sighed, sad at the thought that the night they shared would fade into moments like these.

"Are you okay, Meowth? You seem a little down." James noted.

"Nya, it's just dis stupid feeling I got. It's all starting to become senseless. I mean, we've been doing dis for over 5 seasons."

"Has it really been that long?" Jessie asked.

"Well, time flies when you're having fun!" James joked.

"As if I haven't gotten tired of doing dis over and over again, blasting off after trying to capture Pikachu. Come on, guys. Am I really da only one who feels like dis?"

"If we haven't caught it by now then that means this Pikachu is not normal. Our time will not have been wasted if we actually capture it. Now think, what have we done all these times that we haven't done before?"

"Hmm." They all said in unison.

"I got it!" Jessie said, snapping her fingers, "We haven't improvised yet! All of our other plans have been carefully put together by us. It's about time that we try things according to the situation."

"Dat's it! If we don't mess dis up da boss might actually respect us and I'll finally be his favorite pokémon, upstaging dat snobby Persian!"

"Wobbuffet!"

They all nodded in agreement.

Just as they were all walking in, the doorman stopped James and said "Hey buddy, read the sign." He pointed at a sign that clearly read '_No Pets Allowed'._

"I'm not a pet, I'm a pokémon." Meowth said, a little annoyed at his lack of knowledge.

"Do you take me for a fool? Pokémon don't talk." He replied. "But even if you were, pokémon have to be inside their pokeballs, so we sill can't let you in."

"If I can't come in, how did da twoip's rat get in?"

"They are VIP guests and were invited by the owner himself. Those two have made Pallet Town what it is today."

"Well, dat explains dat. . ."

"Is he a psychic Pokémon?" The guard asked, turning to James.

"Well, uhh.." James said as he felt Meowth tugging at one of his trousers.

"James, tell him! I'm no-"

"We've got an exception regarding telepathic, psychic Pokémon," The bodyguard interrupted, "if that is what he is I guess we have no problem letting him in."

"Why, yes, dat's what I am!" Meowth smiled, nervously scratching his head.

"Alright, you just need to be accompanied by an adult." He turned to James and asked, "Is he with you?"

"I've never seen him before in my life."

"Wh- James!"

Meowth turned to Jesse and called her name, in hopes that she'd help him get in, but no luck. He was left alone.

* * *

Using the acquired information to his advantage, James pretended to be the owner of the restaurant and called Ash away.

"I'll be right back, okay Pikachu?"

"Pikapika?" He asked, tilting his head sideways.

Pikachu was left with Brock as Jessie brought their food.

"I guess this is why they don't let Pokémon in." Brock said as he turned to Pikachu.

Thinking Jessie was a regular waitress, he flirts with her, making her spill one of their drinks.

"Ooh, I'm so clumsy." She said.

"Let me help you with that." He offered.

Pikachu was left alone.

Just then, a regular waitress was passing by and noticed him. "How'd you get in?" She asked. "You can wait for your trainer out here." She said, signaling the entrance.

Pikachu tried to explain but remembered she couldn't understand him. He wasn't mad at her, he knew she was just doing her job, so he simply allowed her to hustle him outside.

Looking through the window, he whispered "Pikapi."

* * *

The clouds had cleared and the sun was shining higher now.

_Humans, they can never be trusted; they're so unpredictable_. Meowth thought as he sat on a bench across the street. He sighed. _It's funny how such a little thing can just ruin your day like this. I guess I'm not that important to them after all. They don't need me and my plans around. _He shook his head and folded his arms. _Maybe I'm looking too deep into this, maybe it was just a joke they were playing on me. _He sighed once more_. I don't know what to believe anymore._

He looked over at the restaurant and saw Pikachu standing outside. He thought about going over, but he didn't know how he'd react. They hadn't ended things in a way he would've liked, but he wasn't going to let a chance like this slide; he could finally make things right, so he went to the corner of the street and started walking. Pikachu noticed him as he walked past him.

"Pika?" He asked, surprised to see him there.

"Oh, Pikachu is dat you?! What a strange coincidence!"

"Pika Pikachu."

"Dey don't allow pokémon, huh? Well, we could walk around while we wait for dem."

Pikachu thought he should do as the waitress said and wait for Ash outside, but he didn't want to be rude, so he accepted.

They walked around with no destination, just then and there.

* * *

"Where's Meowth? Did he get Pikachu?" Jessie asked James as she looked around. "Meowth?!" She repeated.

"Uh, we didn't let him in, remember?"

* * *

After a while, Meowth looked around and asked, "Hey, where are we anyways?"

Pikachu points at a sign that read '_Route 1_'.

It makes them realize that they had been walking for a while now.

"It's getting late, isn't it?" Meowth said as he noticed the sun had gone lower too. "Maybe we should be making our way back. Jessie and James are probably looking for me."

"Pika Pikachu!" He agreed.

"Well, which way Pikachu?"

"Pika~" He says, a little embarrassed.

"Gah! What do you mean you don't know these parts anymore?!"

"Pi-pi Pikachu."

"Well, I guess it has been a while, huh?"

It was getting dark, but they figured that if they keep walking they would eventually run into somebody and they could ask them for directions, but after walking for a few minutes they realized that they were alone.

It was fully night now and just as their hope was beginning to run dry, they saw a light further ahead and next to it was someone using a telephone. They ran in that direction and realized that the person using the phone was none other than Gary Oak.

"Whoa, a Meowth and a Pikachu." He said as he spotted them. "It's rare to find them around these parts, especially together." He added as he got into his battling position, reaching for one of his pokeballs.

"Pi-pi-pi Pikapi Pikachu!" He tried to explain, but Gary didn't understand.

Meowth stepped forward and shielded Pikachu.

"Sorry kid, but my heart is wit' Team Rocket - and Pikachu- his heart is wit' his trainer Ash Ketchum, so I'm not gonna let you capture him."

Gary was surprised when he heard him talk.

"Oh, so you're Ash's Pikachu, huh? Where is he, anyway? Doesn't he know how to keep track of his pokémon?" He says, taking a step closer to them in a very tedious and unpredictable way. "What is a member of Team Rocket and one of Ash's pokémon doing together anyways?" he asked.

"Dat's none of your business."

"Relax, I'm just trying to be friendly. I wouldn't be talking to you otherwise. I just don't see why he's still carrying a weak pokémon like Pikachu around."

"Dere is something different about dis Pikachu." Meowth said.

One of Pikachu's ears twitched at that statement. He looked surprised, there was a slight blush as he turned to look at Meowth.

"Maybe there is something special about this Pikachu, but there is definitely something special about you, Meowth."

"Huh?"

"A talking pokémon is something rare to come across. Not even Lugia or Entei could talk. They do so telepathically. My uncle, Professor Oak, is highly renowned around the scientific community; he works closely with newly discovered pokémon and it would be a major advancement to have a translator like you."

"I belong to nobody. I'm not for sale." Meowth said as he turned away, pretending not to be interested by the offer, but the idea stayed in his mind.

"We'll see about that." Gary said as he reached for one of his pokeballs.

* * *

_'I can't believe I lost him.'_ Ash thought to himself. _'Where could he have gone off to? I knew this is why I shouldn't have left him alone. What if Team Rocket finally got him?'_

He walked out into the night and looked for him. The longer he looked the stronger he was convinced that Team Rocket had captured him. He saw Team Rocket further ahead and walked in their direction, ready to surrender and willing to do anything to get his Pikachu back.

They noticed him and walked up to him. Before Ash had a chance to speak they said, "We want our Meowth back."

That request left him a little taken aback. '_Meowth and Pikachu are missing. That means he must still be out there.' _Ash thought. _'He's okay, I'm sure he's out there somewhere.'_

After a good amount of bickering, they finally agreed on a truce until they each found their pokémon.

They found them somewhere between Route 1 and Viridian City. Meowth was all beat up. Both Ash and Team Rocket thought Pikachu had defended himself against him.

Team Rocket took Meowth back.

"Geez, can't you stay put for even this long?" Both James and Ash told their pokémon at the same time.

Meowth tries to say something but Jessie and James cut him off.

"Come on, Meowth; let's go."

They each thought their pokémon were only doing their job, but what they didn't know was that Meowth had actually defended Pikachu from Gary's pokémon. But Meowth figured that things were better this way.

* * *

**Author's Note: Special Thanks to Quillinx for helping me with this chapter and to Sailor Nibaru for pointing out an aspect in which the story could be improved.**


	3. NOT IN LOVE

**What blasts off must come down.**

* * *

He felt moss on his feet as he walked through the forest, looking for the place where they had agreed to meet. The brisk autumn wind blew through his fur as he stopped to admire the scenery. The moss and the bugs looked like baby cities while the fallen branches looked like roads and highways, making the effect more believable.

He saw something moving on the ground. It was hiding behind a big leaf, so he curiously followed it all the way to a stream of water that passed through the forest. There, he uncovered it to find a Dugtrio. He looked around and saw some oran berries. They were in full bloom, spreading their unmistakable sweet scent around the area. He looked further down the stream and saw Pikachu sitting idly by the stream of water.

"Oh, der you are." Meowth said as he came out from behind some bushes. "Everyt'ing's been so crazy lately I was starting to wonder if I'd made da whole t'ing up in my mind. I had to wear dis to make myself believe dat it actually happened. Wat do you t'ink? Does it look better normal?" he asked, his hands pointing toward his hat.

Pikachu smiled upon hearing his voice, but once he took a closer look at his hat he felt a mixture of anger and disappointment, but he tried his best to keep it from showing.

"Sideways?" he asked, flipping his hat, leaving one of his ears out. "Or backwards?"

Just as he was flipping it, Pikachu turned away in a very aggressive manner.

"Huh? Wat is it, Pikachu?"

Pikachu didn't respond, giving Meowth a good idea of what was going on.

"You're not mad at me, are ya?"

"Pi."

"Agh, dis is Skitty all over again! Please, I don't want dis to end because of whatever it is dats bodering you! Would you at least tell me wat it is?"

Pikachu didn't want it to end either, but he was still ignoring him. He didn't want to leave Meowth clueless as to what he was talking about, no matter how obvious it was, so without turning to look at him, he simply pointed at his hat.

"Oh, so dat's wat dis is about?"

"Pipipi Pikapi Pikachu!"

"Relax, he actually gave it to me."

"Pikapi Pikachu pi pika pi. Pika pika pi Pikachu."

"So your trainer really valued dis hat, huh?" He said, taking it off to get a good look at it. "I knew he cared about it, but I didn't know just how much it meant to him." His eyes widened at the realization of its implications. "Dat must mean he really understands and cares about us." Wrapping his arm around Pikachu he added, "Don't worry about it. I'll treat dis hat wit' da respect it desoives." He said as he put it back on, flipping it backwards, leaving his charm exposed.

Pikachu seemed very keen on how to handle situations like these, but he didn't give off the notion that it was from experience, so curiously, Meowth asked, "Say, have you ever been in love before, Pikachu?"

"Pi."

"Sparky?" Meowth gasps, "Ain't dat Ritchie's Pikachu?"

"Pika pika."

"You taught Ritchie would join up wit' your trainer and dey would travel together, but dat didn't happen?"

"Chu~"

"Hmm.. dat is a sad story." Meowth said as he joined Pikachu on the grass. "I haven't told dis to anybody, but I used to be in love once too." He sighed, playing back the memory in his mind. Smiling, he added, "If it wasn't for her, I would probably still be walking on all fours and I wouldn't be able to speak human."

"Pikachu?"

"I was walking down da streets of Hollywood when I saw her from across da street. She was beautiful. None of da beauty in the world could compare wit' hers. I quickly went over to sing her a song."

"Pika~" he smiled.

"But see, her owner was a rich lady who could give her anything she wanted, I couldn't compete with dat; to her I was just a street Meowth. To win her love I had to be human, and humans walk on two legs, not four, so in hopes dat one day she'd love me, I learned to walk like a poison. Once I got dat down I turned to da next thing. Talking was hard, but I wouldn't give up. My feelings for her gave me da determination to do all those t'ings for her. Love can make you do crazy t'ings, but even after all dat, she broke my heart."

"Pikachu?"

"She called me a freak."

"Pika-chu."

"I set out wit' Team Rocket in hopes of becoming rich and powerful so dat one day she would be da one crawling back, yearning for my love, but my dream just never came true." He paused and added, "As for Purrloin, well.. you know wat happened."

"Pika Pikachu."

"I know you won't humiliate me like dat, Pikachu." Meowth said as he rubbed his face against pikachu's head in a friendly way. "You're da first to actually return my feelings." He smiled, "Finding dat person is hard, but now dat I have, I couldn't be happier."

"Pika!"

"Ah, the night is young, Pikachu. Wat do you wanna do?"

Pikachu whispered something into his ear.

"Pikachu?!" Meowth said, startled by his response. "Are you sure you want ta do dat?"

* * *

Meowth and Pikachu were laughing as they left the camp that Ash and his friends were staying at.

"I know you said we shouldn't do anything to Ash, but I t'ink dat means he's gonna get blamed for da whole t'ing!" Meowth said between laughs. He then looked over at Pikachu and stopped laughing. "Hey, don't look at me like dat. This was your idea, y'know?"

Pikachu's look was just as insistent as before, so Meowth had no choice but to coincide.

"Fine, fine." Meowth said as they went back to camp, leaving something in Ash's pocket and then left once more.

They sat against tree, and much like their first night together, they admired the scenery. They smiled as they pointed out the constellations in the stars. One of them reminded him of something, so he decided to come clean.

"Hey, Pikachu? Call I tell you somet'ing?"

"Pika?"

"Dis was actually a plan to get you to trust me, but you- you've done it Pikachu." Pikachu turned to look at Meowth as he looked distantly into the night. "These experiences I've had wit' you- not just these last ones, but everyt'ing as a whole. From da time when we were bound together to when you blast me off. Dey've sparked something in me. Dey're all reasons as to why I wanted to capture you, but when I am wit' you. . . none of dat matters anymore."

"T'inking of the good times takes me back to da day we first met." Meowth said as he closed his eyes, "We were only interested in rare and valuable pokémon when we broke into da pokecenter, so we weren't interested in capturing you. It was only when we saw your true potential dat you became our highest priority. And you still are..."

"Pikachu pika Pikapi."

"You're saying if it wasn't for me you wouldn't have da connection you now have wit' Ash? Wow. I never looked at it like dat." Meowth said as he turned to look at the electric mouse. "In some ways, I feel like I've already captured you, Pikachu."

Upon hearing that, Pikachu looked around, almost half expecting for Team Rocket to show up.

"But then again, you've caught me too." Meowth added.

"Ah, this calls for a song." he said as he pulled out his acoustic guitar.

He started to play a simple, yet beautiful melody as he started to sing.

_"__Just like da moon shines for us,  
da sun will shine for you, Pikachu_  
_It was you who lit da skies up above us  
__when I met you, __Pikachu  
You fill my heart wit' excitement  
when I look at you, Pikachu  
I don't want much in the end  
but you, Pikachu_

_Pikachu, Pikachu, I wrote dis for you_  
_You're so pretty and I t'ink I love you_  
_With dem crazy ears and dem scratchy nails_  
_Your cute little smile, your sparky yellow tail_  
_Pikachu, Pikachu, I wrote this for you_  
_And okay, I t'ink I'm in love wit' you"_

He turned and saw Pikachu lying down on the grass with his eyes closed. There was silence as the last notes from his guitar faded out. The only sounds left were those of the wind and the nocturnal creatures in the forest. He went over and cuddled next to him. He purred as they drifted to sleep under the moonlight.

* * *

"Ash! Ash, wake up!" Misty said as she shook his body.

"Ugh, what is it Misty?" Ash said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Did you do this?" Misty asked, pointing at the bug pokémon in her bag.

"It wasn't me, Misty. Honest."

"Well, you and Brock are the only ones here who know how I feel about bug pokémon and you're the only one here without any puns about your personality. Just look at Brock."

Upon hearing his name, Brock started to wake up. They both turned to look at him.

"Brock, don't freak out." Misty said.

"Why? What is it?" He asked as he turned to see his reflection on the frying pan in his backpack. What he saw in his forehead reminded him of the harsh reality that he might spend his life forever alone. "Agh! Get it off! Get it off!"

Meanwhile, Ash bumped into something in his jacket. He took it out to find a note from Gary. He immediately made some connections and found that it must've been him that did this.

His ears caught a faint voice in the distance. He leaves Misty and Brock trying to deal with their problems as he nears a small hill that blocked him from seeing the horizon and saw Meowth & Pikachu near the stream.

"Pika." He said as he signaled Meowth to join him.

"Are you crazy? I'm not going near dat t'ing." Meowth said as he continued licking his hand, occasionally rubbing it against his face.

Meowth was close enough to the water that if Pikachu really wanted to, he could pull him in, but he had a better idea. He splashed some water, getting some on him.

Meowth closed his eyes and opened them again. "Oh, you're gonna get it!" He said as he started chasing each the electric pokémon.

Ash smiled as he joined Brock & Misty once more.

The couple gets tired and crash in the nearby meadow.

"Ash already knows, but how do you think I should tell Team Rocket?"

"Pi-pi pika Pikachu."

"Gah! Don't you think that's a little too forward?"

"Pika."

"Maybe we should just stay like this. I don't want things to change between us."

They hear some ruckus coming from Ash's camp.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now." Meowth said as Pikachu turned to look at him.

"Pi." He said as he started to walk away.

"See ya later, Pikachu." Meowth said as he waved goodbye.

Pikachu turned back to wave at him and then ran back to his camp.

* * *

"Huh? Why me all of a sudden?" Meowth asked as Team Rocket chose him for the battle that was about to take place.

"It's been a while since your last battle, and besides, you really surprised us with your attacks last time."

Meowth started to panic. He didn't know what he should do. If he attacked Pikachu, he would be able to forgive himself, and what was to say about how Pikachu would feel. Yet, if he didn't attack, Team Rocket would get suspicious.

"My battling days are behind me. I'm better dan dis." Meowth countered.

"Don't be so stingy, Meowth."

"If he doesn't wanna battle then you won't get the same results." Ash said, trying to evade the battle as a whole.

"Why don't you mind your own buisness little twerp?"

"I don't want to hurt a pokémon that doesn't want to battle, that's all."

"Come on, Meowth. Paper beats rock, so cat must beat mouse."

"If you insist." Meowth said after being cornered.

This startled Pikachu, but he smiled as he understood the objective behind it.

"Are you ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika."

Pikachu took his battling position.

"Meowth, use Scratch."

"Pikachu, Quick Attack, now!"

Meowth raised his paw as they neared each other. Pikachu's speed was rising by the second, but what Meowth didn't expect to feel was his claws against Pikachu's face.

He heard Ash say something, but he was having a hard time believing that he'd actually scratched Pikachu. The next thing he knew Pikachu was using thunderbolt on him and Team Rocket, blasting them off into the sky with the knowledge that the next time they saw each other again, it would probably be as enemies.

He felt the electricity surge through his body just as before, but the pain was gone. It was as if he'd been sedated. Yet at the same time it hurt more because of what he felt on the inside, and that was a thousand times worse.

They land on a puddle of water. They're hurt really badly, especially Meowth. He was bleeding from his head, his face was all scratched up from the landing, he had a broken tail, and his charm had chipped.

He was completely zoned out for the next couple of minutes. He had two conflicting emotions. The sadness and uncertainty of how long it would be until he'd be able to see Pikachu the way he'd seen him for the past couple of days, and the comfort of being with his teammates again, he'd missed this. He snapped out of his trance and realized James had been fixing him up. He saw that the broken part of his tail had been wrapped with a bandage. He placed his hand on his cheek, feeling the plastic band-aid on his cheek as James wrapped his head with a bandage. Meowth closed his eyes, sighed and said, "T'anks James."

He felt bittersweet. Life can be unpredictable at times, just like its people. Sometimes it's cliche, and sometimes it's lonely, but the possibilities are endless. They would do this forever until the time came when they could be together again.

* * *

**Author's Note: I posted a deleted scene of this story under the title 'Saturnine'. You can check it out on my profile. While you're there you can vote on my poll to see which story I'm going to work on next. I mentioned this before, but I made a playlist for this story and you can find it on my profile too. The cover for this chapter is by deviantART user rollingrabbit. It will eventually be changed back to the original, so if you missed it, go check it out. The original is by FurAffinity user Shellforbrains. Special thanks to Quillinx for helping me with this chapter.**


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